


The Art of Her Deal

by Ashrocksit08



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-03 16:34:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14000160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashrocksit08/pseuds/Ashrocksit08
Summary: If someone had told Toni that she would be sitting at a lunch table stealing glances at Cheryl Blossom; the girl whose first words directed towards her were calling her ‘serpent scum’ and insinuating all kinds of classist bullshit about her and her crew, she would have told them to lay off the jingle jangle and stay in school, because there would be no way in hell.or...Toni Topaz thinks Cheryl Blossom is worth getting to know.Cheryl Blossom wants to trust Toni Topaz enough to let her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is really just me writing something that takes place after the events of the Love, Simon premiere and running with it. I'm not a hardcore Riverdale stan (i stopped watching halfway through season 1) but Choni got me back, y'all. Anyway any comments/kudos is greatly appreciated and this is my first time writing these characters so be gentle. I hope you enjoy.

If someone had told Toni that she would be sitting at a lunch table stealing glances at Cheryl Blossom; the girl whose first words directed towards her were calling her ‘serpent scum’ and insinuating all kinds of classist bullshit about her and her crew, she would have told them to lay off the jingle jangle and stay in school, because there would be no way in hell. Yet, there she was, sitting with Jones, his lady, and that guy Kevin, who she only knew as the Sheriff’s son who Joaquin had a thing for. He wasn’t so bad, even if he did have a penchant for drama; she could appreciate that from time to time, and as long as he didn’t start it, it was all good in Toni’s book. 

“What’s Bombshell’s deal?” She asked out loud suddenly, having been completely absorbed in thoughts of the crimson haired girl who sat alone a couple of tables away. For one, she didn’t have much investment in the current topic of conversation, Betty’s creepy half brother who apparently is a cam guy Keller watches (say what you want about the Southside, but Northsiders seemed to be more screwed up than she and her crew could ever even try to be). And for two, Cheryl didn’t strike her as the kind of girl who would eat alone. Toni had to admit, she couldn’t recall any other times she’d seen Cheryl at lunch because well…she never paid attention to her, why would she? The lines were drawn pretty quickly about how she felt about Toni and her friends, so as far as the Serpent was concerned, the red head was out of sight an out of mind. 

There was that time at the drag race against The Ghoulies; Toni didn’t know why Cheryl was there, but her taking the honors of flag girl was no real skin off of her back, and to be honest, the way she owned the outfit she was wearing -- a simple, pristine white bralette crop top, crimson red shorts, and navy blue platform heels, Toni didn’t know if she could disagree too much when Cheryl said she was ‘born for this moment’.

Then came last week and their fateful meeting in the bathroom. 

Toni Topaz was a lot of things, but afraid of Cheryl Blossom she was not, so when she heard her schoolmate talking to her boy Jug and spilling all kinds of tea about a kiss Archie had with Betty (that in itself was…something, but none of Toni’s business so not the point) in an obviously malicious manner, she saw it fitting to speak up and say something since it was apparently ‘get in other people’s business day’ anyway. Toni’s rule when dealing with people was to give as good as she got, and in any other instance she would have, but Cheryl’s little stunt was so obviously a desperate reaction to being hurt in some way, it didn’t seem right to take a shot, so instead she offered an ear and a hand, literally… it didn’t work out too well for her. 

Sapphic serpent hands though? She’d never met a straight girl her age who had that particular ‘s’ word included in her vocabulary.

“Cheryl?” Jughead asked her, the suspicion in his tone evident, even before he glanced behind him to get a look at Cheryl, her head down, looking at her phone, Toni presumed.

If they were put off by Toni’s sudden inquiry cutting off their conversation they didn’t let it show much considering Betty was sporting a suspicious look on her face that could rival Jughead’s,“Why do you want to know anything about Cheryl Blossom?” The way she said it, with a barely detectable, but still there edge of disgust in her tone, a tone that made Toni want to rip that idiot goody too shoes ponytail off her head, a tone that was similar to the one she’d used when she didn’t have the ovaries enough to say that she thought the black hood was a Serpent, but felt entitled enough to imply it caused Toni to raise an eyebrow and crack her knuckles silently under the table.

Toni didn’t hate Betty, she really didn’t. She didn’t see her appeal, but she saw how happy the blonde made Jughead and how willing to stick her neck out for him she was, so Toni couldn’t have too much against her, but she (and most of Jughead’s Northside buddies) so obviously had their heads up their own asses it made them insufferable at times, most times if she was being honest. 

Kevin, on the other hand was two things; intrigued and slightly giddy. The moment Cheryl’s name was mentioned he’d perked up like a dog whose master just opened the front door, “The better question is what’s the deal with you and Cheryl? When I saw you two sitting together at the theater I had to check and make sure I hadn’t had a stroke or something.” 

“Wait, you went to a movie with Cheryl?” Jughead asked, a little too loudly and thoroughly confused. Regardless, Toni ignored it, but answered Kevin. 

“We didn’t go out. I went to check out that Love, Simon movie with Fangs, but he matched with some girl on Bumble and bailed. I ran into Bombshell at the concession stand and—“ 

“And she didn’t tear your head off for breathing your air? I wonder if she’s sick? It is flu season.” Kevin interrupted and Toni fixed him with an admonishing look. To his credit, he did look sheepish afterwards, so Toni finished, “So we watched the movie and afterwards got milkshakes.” She didn’t tell them about the crying or Cheryl coming out to her, why would she? 

“That doesn’t sound like the Cheryl I know.” Her fellow Serpent told her more dismissively than she cared to be talked to, and she countered almost instantly, “Well maybe you don’t know her as well as you think you do.” 

“I know enough.” 

Toni got up and grabbed her backpack, her grip on it loose as she left the table. 

“Hey where are you going? Are we fighting?” Jughead asked, and the alarm in his voice made Toni smirk, just when you wanted to write him off as being a total ass he had to go and care about the state of your relationship. 

“No, idiot we’re not fighting. You know enough, I don’t.” She told him simply, “Later.” 

 

\-----------------------------------

Cheryl’s ears were burning. 

Sure gossip about her or her family was nothing new, and after Jason’s death she’d actually become quite good at ignoring when she was being talked about regardless if the chatter was good or bad. The way she saw it, if they were talking at all then she was doing something right. So hearing that dilettante Jughead Jones shout her name like he had tourette’s or something wouldn’t have been something she gave a second thought to if not for who was among his company at his table -- Toni Topaz. 

Toni made Cheryl feel uneasy, mostly because she made Cheryl feel anything at all. This girl, this gang member from the Southside quite literally just walked into her life and instantly captured her attention. Of course, Cheryl and denial were well acquainted, so ‘wow, that girl is kind of gorgeous’ in her head was quickly converted into ‘Southside scum’ coming out of her mouth. 

Cheryl couldn’t recall a single nice thing she’d ever said to Toni, and yet that day in the bathroom for some reason, the Serpent chose to of all things offer Cheryl an ear to listen. Now, with Jughead shouting her name as if he’d been scandalized, panic quickly had risen in Cheryl’s chest. Had Toni only pretended to care about her to get her to open up and divulge something gossip worthy that she and Jughead could spread around? Had she really been that naive? 

“Hey.” Toni told Cheryl casually as she tossed her bag on to the table before she sat on top of it, close enough to Cheryl that the shorter girl was able to open her legs only slightly to nudge Cheryl’s upper arm with her knee. 

“Is for horses, Cha Cha. Have a nice conversation about me?” 

Toni raised a questioning eyebrow at Cheryl, wondering how she knew she was the topic of conversation, “For an investigative reporter, Jughead is shitty at being conspicuous.” She waited a beat. “So should I be preparing myself for my sexuality to be the splashed on the front page of the next issue of the blue and gold?” Cheryl asked her, eyes forward, not looking at Toni. 

“What? No. Cheryl, I didn’t tell them about that.” Toni told her immediately and tried to maneuver herself enough to get Cheryl to look at her. “I would never out someone. I just asked about you. Kevin mentioned seeing us at the movies so I told him the truth: we ran into each other and got some shakes, end of.” 

“End of?” Cheryl asked, and actually looked at Toni now, something that relieved the Serpent, hoping Cheryl could see in her eyes that she was telling the truth, “End of.” 

Cheryl looked to be debating on if she should take her word for it, but really what else could she do? Even if she did think she was lying it wasn’t like she could un-divulge the secret from Jughead. She just had to trust that Toni was telling her the truth, and found that she wanted to.

“What about me did you ask?” 

“What your deal is. But then I decided to come straight to the source, I’m kind of impatient like that.” Toni told her, relaxing again as it seemed Cheryl’s question meant that she’d believed her, which was a good choice on her part considering she was telling the truth after all. 

“It’s cute how you think finding out is as simple as asking a question. But I suppose I can live with letting you attempt, if you can manage to get down from the table, and sit like a normal person.” Cheryl smiled, faintly, a sort of smile you’d miss if you weren’t close the way Toni was, and the Serpent complied, sliding down from the table to the bench, “Done. Where’s your lunch?” She asked, noticing that Cheryl didn’t have a lunch bag or a tray on the table, 

“Oh, I don’t eat in public. I don’t want people judging me by what I eat, it gives them ammo and the only one who gets to have ammo is me.” Cheryl wanted to laugh out loud at Toni’s stunned face, the darker girl didn’t have to say a thing, her opinion on the matter was written all over her face, but she continued on anyway, “Food is cool, you need it to live. But the mere act of eating invokes thoughts of digestion, flatulation, defecation, even shall I say, complexion defection.” Cheryl shivered for added effect so Toni knew just how horrid the notion was.

“Are you serious?” Was all Toni could muster, she knew the girl was one to care about outward appearances but that was a lot, and she couldn’t hide it, regardless of how the red head had piqued her interest. 

“No.” Cheryl smirked, quite proud of herself, “Do you think king of the hobos is the only person in Riverdale who can quote a classic film? ‘Jawbreaker’, 1999.”

“Okay you got me, that was clever. You got me. I’ve never seen it.” Toni told her, and could only laugh at herself slightly, and thought to herself, ‘so this is Cheryl’s sense of humor’.

“No? I have it on Blu-Ray, you could come over to my place tonight. Thistle house hasn’t seen a proper movie night since we moved in anyway.” Cheryl asked, trying to come off more casual than she felt. Toni wanted to know her, to know ‘her deal’ as she’d put it, and while Cheryl wasn’t eager to spill her deep dark secrets, she meant what she’d told Toni at Pop’s, that she’s not some loveless monster, and she wanted to show someone that. On top of that, she and Toni had something in common -- she was fairly impatient herself. 

“Tonight? I can’t. I have a job bartending at the Whyte Worm.” Toni told her, she would love to hang out with Cheryl, but she needed the money so she couldn’t bail. 

“Oh, I see.” Cheryl sat up straighter, bumming Toni out because she could see as clear as day that Cheryl was going into protection mode from what she saw as a rejection. 

“Look it’s no movie night at a house so fancy it has it’s own proper noun---” Toni started and picked up Cheryl’s phone, not bothering to ask and sent herself a text so she’d have the girl’s number. “--But I’m going to be there until around 9 tonight if you wanted to stop by or something.” She told her and sent Cheryl the address. 

“Probably not. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s a school night, and you’d think that would lighten the load that is my social calendar a bit, but no such luck.” The pale beauty told her, speaking a mile a minute as she gathered her things and got up from the table. It wasn’t that she was upset with Toni, she had a job, she understood that, but she attempted to put herself out there and regardless of the reason, it was a no, so she wanted a few moments alone to lick her wounds from shooting her shot. “Some other time, perhaps, ‘Ta.” 

Heels clicked against the gravel and Toni watched Cheryl Blossom retreat. She wasn’t left completely dejected; the red head left her with the knowledge that she was a pretty good troll, that she didn’t take hearing ‘no’ very well (but really, she could have guessed that one) and best of all her number. It wasn’t a perfect encounter by any stretch of the imagination, but it was something. And Toni could work with something.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of those who left kudos and comments. Also, shout out to all of the Choni fanfic writers, you guys are putting out awesome work on a daily and I am in love. 
> 
> I do have a question that I hope someone can answer for me. I've read a lot of fics where Cheryl's mom is physically abusive. Is that something that has happened in the show or is it just kind of like an understood thing in the Cheryl Blossom unofficial canon? 
> 
> Anyway, here's the second chapter. I hope you all enjoy and continue to drop comments and if anyone wants to just shoot the shit about Choni or anything feel free to message me.

Cheryl had no desire to step foot inside of the Whyte Wyrm. Well that wasn’t exactly true, she actually did have a desire to go in because Toni was inside. Toni, who had invited her to hang out just to have her company, Toni who was the closest thing to a friend she had, even if their tentative friendship was brand new. The thing about it was, Cheryl couldn’t step inside of the Whyte Wyrm, because from the moment she pulled into a parking spot, all she could see was Jason walking inside to his eventual death, to the beginning of his end. 

By now she knew all of the details; how Jason went to FP for help, how he was subsequently kidnapped by FP then held for ransom, and of course, how her father shot him in the head in the basement of the establishment -- this place was where her brother died. At her lowest point, Cheryl had considered burning this place down before she decided that Thornhill was the better option. There were many ‘ifs and thens’ that ran through her head, ‘If FP hadn’t kidnapped Jason then he might still be alive.If Jason had let her in on his whole plan, then Cheryl could have possibly been the one to go see Jason instead of her father’. Ultimately though, she didn’t hate the Whyte Wyrm, it was just a place and a place didn’t kill Jason, a person did, her father did. FP Jones played a part, but the Whyte Wyrm was just a setting for a tragic story. 

Still, she couldn’t go in, regardless of what her intellectual mind told her, Cheryl didn’t make it beyond the parking lot try as she might, and she did try… for two hours. 

Toni exited the bar not long after 9, and Cheryl got out of her car when she saw the pink haired girl, making quick strides with long legs, head held high, and more perceived confidence than anyone who just spent two hours in a parking lot should possess. “Topaz. Want a ride?” 

“Cheryl? What are you doing here?” Toni spun around, recognizing the voice. She wasn’t afraid, (she didn’t spook easily, especially on Serpent territory), but she also hadn’t expected for the red head to stroll up on her in the middle of the night. The pink haired girl would be lying if she said that she hadn’t spent her entire shift hoping that Cheryl would show up. It didn’t take a psychic to see that she was most likely lying about having plans that night. Mondays were notoriously slow at the bar, and everytime the door would open, Toni’s neck would crane to see if the person who walked in the door would have pale skin, fire red hair, light brown eyes, and round plump lips -- they never did, and she deflated a bit every time. She’d become so obvious that Sweet Pea had called her out, asking if she was expecting someone. 

“I felt like doing a good deed.” Cheryl told her simply by way of an explanation, her exterior cool despite the fact that she felt like a bit of an idiot wondering if she should have simply stayed in her car and gone home, declaring the evening a wash. But that was Cheryl, did she ever really know when to cut her losses? Not really. 

“So you came to the Whyte Wyrm...to offer me a ride?” Toni questioned further, it wasn’t exactly a far fetched notion to believe or anything, but it also didn’t make a whole lot of practical sense. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Cheryl, really she was just surprised. 

“Do you want a ride or not, Cha-Cha?” Cheryl told her, her tone indicating that she was losing patience when really she was losing nerve. 

“I have a bike…” Toni started, not appreciating Cheryl’s tone and her natural reaction was to not make it easy on the girl, but at the same time, one on one time with Cheryl wouldn’t suck, and since working the bar was pretty low maintenance on Mondays, she wasn’t all that tired. “But I can keep it here overnight.” She acquiesced and accepted Cheryl’s offer, much to the red head’s relief and delight.

 

________________________

 

A ride home turned into a pit stop to a nearby burger joint to pick up some dinner for Toni. A pit stop to buy Toni dinner turned into the two of them sharing a bag of fries on the hood of Cheryl’s car parked outside of Toni’s uncle’s trailer (because Cheryl really needed to get out of the car for a while after sitting for two hours). There was a bit of awkward tension between them at first, neither really knowing what to say, but once Cheryl pointed out how weird it was that Toni individually put ketchup on every fry before she put it in her mouth, the conversation flowed pretty freely. Cheryl liked it, she preferred Toni get to know her this way, that seemed much more organic than to a 21 questions style interrogation or something of the like. 

“I will give you this, Topaz. Under the right circumstances, the right company, and decent enough french fries, the south side has its charms.” Cheryl admitted as she picked up her soda and took a sip. “I never thought I’d see the day I’d be sitting in a trailer park and actually enjoying myself.” 

“Damn, I wish I had my camera, this moment deserves to be captured in time.” Toni joked, and Cheryl tilted her head, questioning. “Camera?” 

“Yeah.” Toni confirmed while squeezing out a small glob of ketchup over a fry that she popped in her mouth moments later, “It’s not impressive or anything, just an old Nikon Sweet Pea bought for me last summer. He said he got it cheap at a pawn shop, and it’s been my baby ever since. Before Southside high got shut down, Jones made me the official photographer of the Red & Black. It was pretty cool.” 

“And when can I see some of these fabulous photos you’ve taken with your baby?” Cheryl asked, she didn’t know shit about photography, but this was a new layer of Toni not yet explored, and learning more about the Serpent was exciting. “What kinds of things do you take photos of?” 

“I don’t have a ton, because film is expensive and the dark room at Southside was pretty janky, but I could bring some stuff to school tomorrow if you really want to see.” 

“I really do.” Cheryl confirmed, and the sincerity and eagerness had Toni blushing slightly. 

“Then I will. But what I take photos of? Whatever I think is telling a story honestly. Have you ever heard of Larry Clark? Problematic as hell and all kinds of weird for so many reasons. He made a couple of movies, but he started out as a photographer and he has this photobook called ‘Tulsa’ that was put out in the 70’s. It’s all black and white photos of young people in his hometown and they’re...messy and not suitable for work and just so jarringly real. You know, Tulsa was thought to be this All-American place and here was this whole generation of kids doing heroin and having sex and dealing with real shit that nobody talked about. And the pictures just kind of speak for themselves you know. I want to take pictures like that. Pictures that speak the truth. And I’m rambling, I’m going to stop now.” 

“No, not at all, I asked and you answered. It’s not like I don’t like hearing you talk. It’s not as pleasant as the sound of my own voice, of course but you know…” Cheryl smiled and Toni grinned in return, “Of course not, Bombshell. I wouldn’t dream of comparing.”

Cheryl put her drink down and her smile faded as the red head looked down at her hands, “Since we’re on the subject of ‘truth’, allow me to confess something: I didn’t just show up to the Whyte Wyrm tonight to give you a ride home.” She admitted. “Actually, I got there long before your shift was over. I intended to take you up on your offer to hang out while you worked, but then I couldn’t go in.” 

“Why couldn’t you? Don’t tell me you were afraid. No one would have given you shit, I would have let them know you were with me.” 

Cheryl shook her head, and closed her eyes briefly, willing back tears, she’d already cried in front of Toni once and would prefer not to do it again, even if she didn’t think the pink haired girl would mind much. It hadn’t dawned on her how much or little Toni knew about Jason’s death and the circumstances around it, “JJ was killed there. In the basement.” 

Toni’s breath hitched and in almost one motion, she’d moved the bag of fries behind them and moved closer to Cheryl, putting a hand on top of the other girl’s. “Cheryl, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. If I did I would have never asked you to go there.” 

Toni didn’t pretend that she or any of the Serpents were angels. Hell, they were feared for a reason, they were a gang, and while everyone had their hard limits on what they would and wouldn’t do, Toni had gotten her hands dirty plenty. She knew that Cheryl’s twin was dead, and that FP had gotten into some trouble with the law in relation to the murder though not because he committed it, but that was about it. 

“No, don’t apologize. I wanted to see you, but I couldn’t push away the thoughts…” Cheryl broke then, the tears she’d tried to hold back sliding down both her cheeks, and Toni squeezed Cheryl’s hand while sliding her free arm around the redhead, who leaned into the new embrace. She cried silently for a while, neither sure how long, but the only sound between them was the occasional sniffle from Cheryl, but it was also Cheryl who finally broke the silence. 

“You want to get to know me, but you probably won’t like what you find.” She told Toni, and the way she sounded, dejected and ashamed made the pink haired girl’s heart break for her. 

“Why would you say that?” She asked, wondering what it was like in the girl’s head as the subject was first her brother and the Whyte Wyrm to this self-loathing. “What happened to you’re not a loveless monster?” 

“I’m not, I’m not, but I’m not worth the trouble either. Just ask Jughead and his friends. There’s a reason they’re not my friends, not really. There’s a reason I don’t have friends in general, all of the skeletons in my family’s closet, all of---” 

“Is not you.” Toni cut her off, not wanting to hear Cheryl bash on herself or undersell herself anymore. God, this girl was hurting more than anyone Toni may have ever seen in her life and she couldn’t understand why she was the only one who saw it and cared enough to not just look away and chalk it up to just Cheryl being a bitch.   
“Jughead is like family to me now, but he can be an ass, and you can be a bitch, and I can be...a myriad of negative things, but nobody is just one thing and having negative qualities or a tough life situation doesn’t make you any less worthy of having people who care about you. If you want to be left alone because you’re not feeling this, I can accept that, but if you’re trying to push me away because you think knowing you is more trouble than you’re worth? No deal, Cherry.” Toni gave Cheryl a small smile once the red head looked at her as if she was something amazing to marvel at. 

“Once again, I’ve just come undone around you.” Cheryl told her, finally lifting her head, sniffling as she wiped under her eyes. 

“I would say I have that effect on women, but I don’t know if that’s something to brag about.” Toni quiped, but still hadn’t let go of Cheryl’s hand just yet.

“I don’t say this often, but thank you.” 

Ever since JJ died, Cheryl had been so lonely at times it physically hurt. It was a kind of loneliness Cheryl never imagined she would have to experience, because even without real friends, she always had her twin, someone who knew her, understood her, and cared about her, but her father had taken that away and left her with no one. 

Cheryl slid herself off of the car, and Toni followed suit, “Don’t mention it. I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Toni told her, grabbing the bag and cups, “I’ll take care of this and trash it.” 

Not so much thinking as being suddenly compelled to do so, Cheryl leaned in and kissed Toni on the cheek, lips left tingling from the contact, “Until tomorrow... Good night, Cha-Cha.” 

“Good night, Bombshell.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, once again thank you for all the kudos and kind comments. 
> 
> I'm going to give you fair warning, this chapter doesn't feature a whole lot of Choni (and none of them in person) and it's fairly short, but I just finished Riverdale not too long ago and wanted to get something out and this was what came about. I think as the story progresses I'm just going to pull certain things out of the canon and leave certain things out (the end of Cheryl's arc this episode though, that shit crazy)! 
> 
> Again, I have watched very little Riverdale so if my characterization is off for anyone I apologize. I'm really trying to not make Jughead an ass though I find him kind of insufferable to watch tbh and I don't think I've ever even heard Fangs or Sweet Pea speak and yet somehow I love the Serpent bond. 
> 
> As always, if anybody wants to shoot the shit about Choni or the show in general (because guys, it's so campy at this point) my inbox is open.

_Bombshell: I need you_

_TT: I can’t say I didn’t expect to hear those words someday, maybe not so soon…_

_Bombshell: Are you quite finished?_

_Bombshell: My father’s will reading is happening this Saturday and I’d like you to come with me. For emotional support._

_TT: Now I feel like an ass_

_Bombshell: It’s because you are one. But you’re an ass I’d like to see._

_TT: Wanky…_

_Bombshell: Just say yes already!_

_TT: Give me a time and and address and I’m there._

“What are you grinning so hard about over there?” Sweet Pea asked Toni as he strolled into the classroom for their swords and serpents meeting. 

“Not even a hello? Just straight to the inquisition.” Toni rolled her eyes in her friend’s direction, obviously deflecting. She was going to catch such shit, and she knew it. 

“Uh-oh” Fangs chimed in from the desk he was sitting in behind her, leaning forward until Toni could feel his breath on her neck, “She’s using big words, she must be hiding something.” 

“Fuck off, I’m not hiding shit.” Toni denied and turned around in her chair enough to softly knock Fangs’ chin with a closed fist, and immediately he leaned his head back like Toni’s punch had really done some damage. Their play fight routine got a laugh from Toni. Now that they were at Riverdale, a school with funds to spend on extracurriculars, Toni had told him on several occasions that he should check out drama club, because she had a feeling he’d be great at acting, but he wasn’t into it. 

Being preoccupied with Fangs and his antics, Toni didn’t see Sweet Pea coming as he plucked her phone out of here hands. 

“Let’s see what we got here…” Toni was out of her seat in a nanosecond, hot on Sweet Pea’s heels, “Who’s bombshell?” He laughed, “You’re an ass I’d like to see!” He read in a high pitched voice.

Toni was fast, so when she got too close, Sweet Pea tossed the phone over her head to Fangs, “Looks like we’ve got a game of keep away on our hands, ladies and gents.” Fangs declared, giddy, “Give me a time and address and I’m there.” He read in a voice meant to imitate Toni’s, and moments later, two texts came in, one with an address and one….

“Damn, this girl uses a lot of kissy face emojis.” 

“I am going to kill the both of you. And it will hurt, I promise you that.”   
Jughead walked in, an apology for being late on the tip of his tongue, but it died seeing the scene in front of him and having a phone tossed at him by Fangs, “Hey guys, sor--” 

“Jones, think fast. Text back that wet tongue emoji!” 

“You had better not even. Phone, now.” She demanded and hopped over a desk to snatch her phone out of Jug’s hand, immediately he threw both of them up in surrender, “Hey, I don’t even know what’s happening right now.” 

“Toni’s texting some chick named Bombshell.” Sweet Pea told Jug right before he got an elbow to his stomach from the pink haired Serpent, she loved her boys, but she hated them too. 

“As in Cheryl Bombshell?” Jughead said, though not as surprised as he was the first time she’d been brought up during lunch, “You two text now?” 

“Don’t even start, Jones.” 

“Wait, Cheryl? That redhead rich girl with the legs?” Sweet Pea and Fangs looked at each other, and dissolved into laughter at the same time, “Damn, girl. Isn’t she the girl you were gonna throw down with when we first got here? Please tell me you’re hitting that.” Sweet Pea begged, and Jughead dry heaved, “I think I’m going to throw up.” 

“Okay, can everybody please stop talking about Cheryl and me? We’re friends okay? I’m not hitting that and Jug I don’t need your permission or approval. Can we please talk about anything else?” Toni wasn’t really asking, and took her seat at the same desk she’d been in before, all of the other Serpents followed suit, except Jughead who sat at the front on the teacher’s desk, “Okay, you heard the woman. I do have something important I want to talk to you guys about anyway...” 

_Dickhead: Another day, another soap box…_

_Dickhead: So what IS the deal with you and that redhead? Are you hitting that?_

_Tiny Toni: No, Sweet Pea, I am not hitting that. Pig._

_Dickhead: But if you could?_

_Tiny Toni: …._

_Tiny Toni: In a heartbeat._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of words this time around for me before I just get you to the story, just that you guys rock and thanks for reading the crap that comes into my head. 
> 
> Also jsyk, I remixed some stuff such as uncle Claudius isn't a thing in my fic. 
> 
> Enjoy.

“Don’t get me wrong, I knew you were dramatic, but wow…” Toni walked into Cheryl’s massive bedroom and felt like her head had been tilted upwards looking around from the moment she stepped into Thistlehouse the way one would do at a museum. It wasn’t the things in the estate that really impressed Toni, rather how massive the place actually was. She was sure she’d never been in a home that big, and from what Cheryl had told her, it was much smaller than Thornhill was. Cheryl’s room though, that was really something. To say it was huge would be an understatement, Toni was sure it had to be more than the size of half of her uncle’s trailer, and that wasn’t including the red head’s private bathroom. It looked nothing like the bedroom of a teenage girl, but rather some gothic heroine in a novel from a time long ago -- the bed with the tuft head and footboard serving as a kind of a centerpiece of the room as far as Toni could tell. But it wasn’t how big the room was that made Toni call Cheryl out, but rather the fact that there were candles everywhere; what had to be at least 50 small flames with shadows dancing across whatever surfaces it could reach. It was beautiful, but so damn extra. 

“Now now, Toni, you couldn’t have expected me to half ass an attempt at seduction, did you?” Had Cheryl’s voice always been that husky and Toni was only now in this moment realizing it, or did the red head only bust out that tone for special occasions? 

“Seduction?” Toni asked, and tried to swallow a lump in her throat without the action being so noticeable as the red head approached her with slow strides reminiscent of a lioness moving in on her prey. 

“Naturally.You can’t tell me you haven’t felt it too, TT. Our attraction? For example, when our eyes meet like this…” Cheryl started, right in front of Toni now, who stood dead still and silent, shamelessly hanging on every word that was coming out of the redhead’s mouth at the moment, “It feels like magic. Magic far too strong for me to be the only one who feels it...right?” Cheryl’s delicate fingers danced up Toni’s arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake while she moved in slowly. When their lips were so close that the smallest movement forward would men they would be touching, Cheryl breathed out her name, “Toni…”

“Hello, earth to Toni!” Cheryl snapped her fingers in front of Toni’s face, and out of her day dream. “Are you alright?” The taller girl asked, an expression on her face that Toni could only interpret as concern. 

“Yeah, yeah...sorry, my mind just wandered, I guess.” Toni explained, flustered as if this Cheryl, real Cheryl had caught she and daydream Cheryl in the act. 

“Good.” Instantly, Cheryl brightened and held up a hanger with a black blouse with flowers embroidered across the chest, “Try this one. I think this will look good on you for the reading.” 

“What’s wrong with what I have on?” Toni asked, but stood anyway, because well, the top was cute, she could admit that. 

“J’dore your whole flannel/mesh aesthetic. It works more than it should actually. I’m merely augmenting your look a bit for the occasion. It’s cute, right?” 

Toni stood from where she’d been seated on Cheryl’s ottoman, and suddenly she had a strong sense of deja vu (only minus a lot of candles) as she stood in front of the girl, closer than she needed to be. She delicately fingered the material of the blouse as she let Cheryl plead her case. Or rather she would have had it not been for her mother barging into Cheryl’s room. 

“What is going on in here, Cheryl?” Penelope demanded and you would think she’d just caught them smoking crack and not simply looking at one another with a shirt in between them. 

It was almost frightening, the way Cheryl shrunk into herself instantaneously and went rigid, Toni didn’t like it one bit, but jumped in, trying to play nice thinking maybe she could pacify the woman, “Mrs. Blossom, hi. I’m Toni Topaz. I’m a friend of Cheryl’s from school and she’s lending me an outfit for the will reading.” 

“And why on earth would you be there?” The older redhead asked immediately. Her stare in Toni’s direction was cold (and purposely so,Toni figured), but she was far from intimidated, more like surprised that the woman was being so outwardly hostile. She thought rich people were more into the passive aggressive stuff, you know, smiling in your face and spewing out something with a double meaning instead of just flat out saying that they think you’re trash. If she wasn’t such a bitch, Toni would give Penelope props for being a straight shooter. 

Cheryl found her voice then and told her mother the same thing she’d told Toni over text; that she was her emotional support. For a brief moment, Penelope’s eyes narrowed, and Toni’s narrowed right back while she crossed her arms and moved just slightly in front of Cheryl, a sort of protective instinct kicking in. Toni couldn’t be sure if it was that action that caused Penelope to stand down, but she did, and left after barking an order for Cheryl to be downstairs before the guests started to arrive. 

“Ugh, she is a nightmare.” Toni let out before she was even sure Penelope was completely out of earshot. It was as if the woman’s presence had sucked all of the air out of the room, and all at once, she could feel Cheryl’s energy relax even as the river vixen deadpanned, “Isn’t she though?” 

______________________

 

Apparently will readings are fucking insane. Or maybe it was just Blossom will readings. All Toni knew was that apparently Cheryl and Betty were family of some sort, she couldn’t believe Betty’s mom was such a badass, and Cheryl had walked out of the room an heiress to Blossom Maple Farms. The Serpent got a strong vibe that Penelope didn’t see that declaration coming, because she’d never seen someone personify the term ‘salty’ in such a spectacular fashion without saying a single word. 

Cheryl said a few words then after the reading, Toni hung back while Cheryl talked to some suits for a couple of minutes, and when she returned she’d asked Toni to stay over, so it was back to her room, which the pink haired girl had figured out pretty quickly was her safe haven. 

“Now I’m no expert, but I think acquiring a multi-million dollar business is cause for celebration.” Toni made a B-line for her Serpent jacket that hung over the chair of Cheryl’s vanity and pulled a joint out of the inner pocket, holding it up triumphantly for Cheryl to see in a silent proposal. 

The title of heiress was a good look for Cheryl, as far as she was concerned, it was another feather in her cap, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that came over her when her father’s will was read and her mother turned her gaze on her -- if looks could kill there would be no Blossom heir for the maple farm to go to. She had no idea what would be happening next, and furthermore what would happen when she came of age, but she did know her family’s name meant something to her, and she knew she wanted the business to continue to flourish for all of the right reasons. Tonight though, she just needed an anchor, and for once since JJ had gone, she had one in the form of a tiny gang member with pink hair offering her a joint. 

After being drugged by Nick St. Clair, Cheryl had steered clear of mind altering substances of any sort, but when Toni pulled out the small white stick, the usual bundle of anxiety was nowhere to be found, neither was the voice that screamed ‘what if’; Cheryl trusted Toni. Slowly, a smile spread across electric red lips, “Shall we head out to my private balcony?” 

“Of course you have a private balcony.” Toni replied with a roll of her eyes, though there was a pleased smile on her face, one that provided Cheryl with an odd sense of pride knowing that something she had done was the reason for that smile. Making people quiver at the sound of your heels clicking against the floor was an amazing feeling, don’t get Cheryl wrong, but she would choose making Toni smile over that any day, she thought to herself while she went over and locked her room door, then headed over to the sliding door and out to the balcony, the shorter girl behind her. 

The cool night air hit them instantly, but Toni seemed unaffected by it as she placed the joint between her lips and lit it using a small, silver zippo with a two headed serpent etched into it. “How do you feel?” Toni asked, and Cheryl still wasn’t used to the question, wasn’t used to someone caring enough to even ask. When was the last time anyone had directed them towards her? She was certain whenever it was the words were uttered by her brother because who else in her life would even bother?

“When I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.” Cheryl answered. After another quick inhale, Toni held the joint out to her, and Cheryl took it, suspecting the goosebumps that ran up her arm had less to do with the cold air and more so with their fingers brushing.   
“You’re cold.” Toni observed and told herself that the rosiness of Cheryl’s cheeks was obvious under the light of the moon and that she wasn’t studying the girl’s face that intently. 

“And you’re not?” Cheryl’s tone was almost challenging, and would have been a lot more effective if not for the fact that she coughed right after the words left her mouth. 

“Not everything is a challenge of dominance, Cher.” Toni told her while she placed a hand on her back and rubbed small circles. 

“Sorry. You’re right. In my defense, neither of us are really dressed to be out here.” While it was technically spring, the winter cold was on its last legs as it was that weird transition time where you didn’t know what kind of clothes you would need to wear on any given day -- too many layers and you were sweating for half the day, not enough and you just felt foolish and ill prepared. 

“I tend to run hot.” Toni told Cheryl, then suddenly left the balcony for the inside. Before Cheryl could follow, the Serpent returned with her jacket in hand and draped the worn leather garment   
over the redhead’s shoulders. 

It only took about half a joint before both Toni and Cheryl started feeling the effects, and by the time they were finished, they could barely keep quiet, stumbling back into Cheryl’s room amidst random fits of laughter. 

“I need clothes to sleep in.” Toni told Cheryl as she let herself fall on her back on to the newly minted heiresses’ bed, not having anticipated sleeping over. 

Cheryl was nothing if not a good hostess, and accommodated Toni, retrieving one of her many river vixens practice shirts and a pair of shorts for the girl. 

“Here you go!” The redhead said in a cheery voice while she dropped the clothes right on top of Toni’s face, causing both of them to erupt in another round of laughter.

“I take back every nice thing I’ve ever thought about you. You are mean, Cheryl Blossom.” 

“Bombshell. I like it when you call me Bombshell.” Cheryl corrected and Toni continued, “Cheryl Bombshell. But your sheets are out of this fucking world so I think I’ll stay.” Toni’s words were muffled, as the Serpent had yet to remove the clothes from her face, so Cheryl did it for her. 

“Mmm, I’ve never been on a more comfortable bed in my life, get over here, you’ve got to feel this.” Toni all but insisted, and made a show of scooting over on the bed despite the fact that it was big enough that the action wasn’t necessary and that Cheryl literally slept on that very bed every night.

“We need to change,” Cheryl protested verbally, but her body compiled and she climbed into the bed. 

“In a minute, I just need you to feel this with me real quick.” Toni assured her. As they both laid on their backs, Cheryl turned her head to study Toni’s profile and when she took notice that the shorter girl’s eyes were closed, she turned on her side and propped her head up with her hand. 

Toni Topaz was beautiful at all times, but downright breathtaking up close. Cheryl admired everything from almond shaped eyes to the soft curvature of her face and lips where the bottom was slightly plumper, optimal for biting. She remembered how her own lips felt against her cheek, and how she’d only wished she could see the way her lipstick no doubt marked the girl if only for a few moments. 

Her gaze went lower and stopped at her ribcage, just below her chest and she squinted a bit to make out what she was seeing; was that a tattoo? 

“I can feel you staring at me. I’m not asleep.” Toni said suddenly, causing Cheryl to jump and Toni to sit up, “Sorry, didn’t mean to spook you. Well I actually did, but…” 

“You have a tattoo.” Cheryl responded, her eyes moving from Toni’s ribcage to Toni’s eyes, and there was that thing, that magic feeling daydream Cheryl had mentioned, the sensation washing over Toni in an awesome wave, “Yeah, all Serpents have them. Do you want to see it?” 

Cheryl nodded then sat up fully so that she was level with Toni, and the Serpent lifted her blouse up enough to expose the two headed snake tattoo that adorned her right rib cage, just under her breast.

“Why did you join the serpents?” The redhead asked suddenly as her hand shot out and fingertips grazed over the ink, following the same path her eyes had only moments before but had abandoned for brown eyes, anticipating an answer. 

Toni’s breath hitched slightly, and just like that, Cheryl’s sheets were no longer the best thing she’d felt that night, “Both my parents were Serpents, my dad died from cancer, not gang activity and my mom’s in prison serving a 25 year sentence because she wouldn’t rat. My uncle stepped up and took me in, but the Serpents...they really took care of me. I never felt like a burden to them you know? Like they were obligated to love me because they weren’t, but they did. So joining wasn’t something I was pressured into, it was something I wanted. We do our dirt, but they’re all my family, and god, do I love my family.” 

“I wish I could say the same.” Cheryl said, still touching Toni (now that she had she felt like she couldn’t stop, or she just didn’t want to). 

“Hang in there Bombshell, you’re sensational. I can’t see you going for too long without someone loving you.” 

The words made Cheryl’s throat constrict. She was caught off guard by how easily Toni had said them, and in the short time she knew Toni, she knew enough about the girl to know that when she said something she meant it.

“I honestly don’t know what to say to that.” 

“You don’t have to say anythi--” 

Suddenly, there were lips on Toni’s ribcage, Cheryl’s lips, a gentle, lingering kiss on one head of the snake tattoo, and then another. When Cheryl brought her head up, the two girls’ eyes met for what had to be only a few seconds before Cheryl dropped another kiss on Toni’s shoulder. Afterwards,Toni pushed her back slightly and met her gaze again, this time her eyes were searching for something, trying to figure out why this was happening. She wanted it, of course she did, but she wanted it to be happening for the right reasons. It was one thing to have a PG-13 romp in the sheets with Jughead as a rebound thing, but Cheryl was different; Toni liked Cheryl, there was just something about the redhead that drew her in like a moth to a flame, and the more she got to know her, the more her affection for the girl grew. She looked for any indication that Cheryl was doing this because she thought it was something she should be doing to keep her around, or she was just looking for something physical because she was fucked up, but light brown eyes told neither of those stories so Toni slipped her hand up Cheryl’s neck and leaned in to kiss fire red lips. 

Neither Cheryl or Toni knew what would come the next morning, or the next minute for that matter, but as they lay back on the bed in unison and Cheryl gripped Toni’s hips as if they were a lifeline all that mattered to both girls was that moment, and that moment was nothing less than magic.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, how about that Choni, eh? Idk I don't have much to say aside from I enjoy reading all of your comments about the story so keep them coming. 
> 
> By now I have a pretty good idea as to where this story is going and yet no clue how many chapters it's actually going to be. Oh well. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the others. Here ya go.

Usually, when Cheryl woke up she relished the brief and fleeting moments before her brain kicked in and she remembered all of the shit she had to deal with on a daily basis; it was temporary bliss, but bliss all the same. This morning though, Cheryl wanted to remember, wanted to wake up with arms wrapped around her and hands on top of hers, and she wanted to think back to where those hands had been before they’d fallen asleep. For the first time in a long time, Cheryl was excited to be awake. Until she felt no arms, hands, or any other parts belonging to a woman, because Cheryl had woken up in bed alone. 

Immediately, disappointment started to settle on her like weights and she sat up in bed, not ready to deal with the fallout of her actions last night with Toni, but figured she might as well start the process of rebuilding the walls the Serpent had been so keen on knocking down. 

Then said Serpent stepped out of the bathroom, hair up in a messy pony and wearing the clothes Cheryl had given her last night to sleep in but she hadn’t gotten around to changing into. “Good morning, sunshine. I took a shower, I hope that’s cool.” 

“No, no of course it’s okay, don’t be silly.” Surprise was written all over Cheryl’s face, and she looked at Toni from where she sat on the bed as if the girl was some sort of great marvel (which Cheryl was starting to think that she was), which was a little weird for Toni first thing in the morning so naturally, the shorter girl called her out on it, “What? Do I have toothpaste on my chin or something? You’re staring.” 

“You stayed.” Cheryl answered, “I thought you had gone.” 

“Should I go?” Toni asked, not quite sure she could tell if Cheryl thought it was a good or bad thing that she was still there; she suspected the former, but didn’t rule out the latter and was not about overstaying her welcome. 

“No!” Cheryl answered immediately and held her hand out, which Toni walked towards and took the offered appendage, her thumb running over pale knuckles, “Well in that case, good morning.” The Serpent smirked and leaned down to kiss Cheryl on the lips, which the redhead wasted no time reciprocating, the hand that was holding Toni’s abandoned in favor of slipping behind the darker girl’s neck. Cheryl could feel a smile on Toni’s lips before the girl with the pink hair pulled away, and when she did, she didn’t see a smile but another smirk, “So that’s Cheryl Blossom’s morning breath. Interesting.” Toni teased and Cheryl’s eyes widened in horror while she shot up off of the bed, “Shut up! I do not---” She stormed off in fury, while Toni replaced her on the bed. Right before she crossed the threshold of the bathroom, Cheryl turned sharply, “My morning routine usually takes about 45 minutes, but for you I’ll just shower and brush my teeth. The redhead narrowed her eyes, silently daring Toni to make another crack. She didn’t. Toni knew when to choose her battles. 

When Cheryl returned to her room, clad in a silk robe, she was met with the sight of a made bed and Toni sitting in the middle of it. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“What?” Toni asked, looking up from the phone that had been occupying her since Cheryl had disappeared into the bathroom. 

“The bed.” 

“Oh, no big deal. Kind of just a habit I guess.” She shrugged, then leaned back on her hands. The morning after was never a big deal for Toni, in fact, she kind of liked it a bit if the other person squirmed a little, thrown off guard by how casual Toni was because it most likely meant to be casual and she didn’t need any signals crossed. With Cheryl though, she didn’t want the redhead to squirm, and she didn’t feel as casual as she’d felt in the past. For one, they didn’t even actually have sex, but on the other hand, they’d both finally acknowledged the elephant in the room between them somewhat, at least on a physical level. 

“Are you hungry?” Toni asked, she herself kind of starving as she tended to eat a lot. Her appetite wasn’t quite one to rival Jughead’s, but it was close to being on the level. In response, Cheryl tilted her head to the side, an amused little smile on her face at the prospect of spending more time with Toni as she assumed the invitation was to eat together, “Sure, I could eat, Mother won’t be awake for another hour or so if--” 

Toni didn’t want to risk Cheryl’s mom waltzing in and ruining the good thing the two of them had going, so she vetoed the idea to leave the confines of the room for her kitchen before Cheryl could even get the full sentiment out, “Better idea: Let’s go somewhere.” 

“Where? Pops?” 

Toni shook her head. 

“Then where?” 

“Say yes and you’ll find out…”

 

_________________________

 

“See? Proof that there are places to go in Riverdale with good food other than Pop’s.” Toni told Cheryl as she watched the redhead across from her happily finish devouring her plate of waffles. After a quick pit stop to Sunnyside so Toni could change, they headed over to a small municipal street market filled with not only produce and meat stands, but small restaurants and the occasional specialty shop. Saturdays were the busiest there, but Sundays were pretty busy too, not so much though that it was overwhelming, more like the atmosphere was just alive and could be felt. 

“Normally I would disagree, but this place is kind of amazing, I cannot believe I’ve never heard about it.” Cheryl admitted before taking a sip of water. They were sat at a small round table in the middle of the market and enjoying their surroundings and each other. 

“Northsiders think of the southside and they think about the serpents and the whyte wyrm and I think it makes it easier for them to write us off and insist that we need to be gotten rid of. But this is the southside too you know? A community just like any other.” Toni spoke simply, without any perceived venom or malice, rather just stating what she’d observed in her 17 years. Cheryl felt guilt because she was, up until recently one of those northsiders, hell, she might still be, but the longer she was around Toni the more Cheryl saw things with brand new eyes. She wondered if the pink haired girl had that effect on everyone or if it was just her. 

“Amazing? Really?” Toni teased with a raised eyebrow, and Cheryl teased right back, “Some would say...sensational.” 

Cheryl cleared her throat after a prolonged period of staring between them and looked around, “Do you come here a lot?”

Toni nodded, “You could say that yeah, more when I was younger. There’s a restaurant that makes these hand pies that I swear would change your life.” The darker girl raved, the food there was hands down her favorite. 

“Show me around.” Cheryl moreso told than asked, but Toni got up all the same and after tossing their trash, the two girls started to walk the market.

There was always a certain vibrancy to Toni Topaz, even when she was sporting that laid back ‘I’m too cool for this shit’ demeanor, but Cheryl had never seen her quite this vibrant as they walked around and she showed Cheryl places like the speciality tea shop she’d get her favorite blueberry and aloe tea that she loved, but Fangs and Sweet Pea despised with a passion. Cheryl learned that it was here that Toni learned how to steal, which admittedly wasn’t the most ethical skill in the world but it had come in handy over the years. She learned that Toni knew how to play the drums (but only a little in her own words) when she took over the sticks and started jamming with a couple of younger kids. When she was done, Cheryl had commented that Toni really was queen of the buskers, which earned a hearty laugh from the Serpent. She also learned that Toni was kind of cheesy when they passed by a small storefront that sold flowers. Toni had asked Cheryl to wait outside and came back with a single rose, red of course. It made Cheryl blush so hard for a few moments, the flower and her cheeks practically matched hues. 

“My turn for a question.” Toni asked, feeling like she’d been talking about herself for a long while, “Is red naturally your favorite color or did you just kind of pick a theme based on your hair?” As they strolled around, already having circled the market once, the backs of their hands would knock together, their fingers practically performing a trapeze act, “Commit to it already, Topaz.” Cheryl scolded her as she just womaned up and threaded their fingers. She wasn’t out because there was no way in hell her mother would approve, but there was also no way in hell there was anyone in the south side of Riverdale who could run back to her so she felt just fine holding a girl’s hand in public, more than fine, she felt...happy. 

“I will admit I do a lot for the sake of aesthetics, but it really is my favorite color just because it can invoke so much you know? Romance, lust, danger, strength, rage, vibrance. It’s such a multi-faceted color. Plus, it just so happens to look amazing on me.” Cheryl couldn’t help but add the last part.

“You really do have so much going on up there.” Toni brought their joined hands up to tap Cheryl’s temple, “Do you know when I started to suspect you were more than meets the eye?” Cheryl looked in Toni’s direction with a raised eyebrow, curious as to how she would answer, “The Pickens day protest. I mean obviously I was preoccupied being an injustice fighting badass, but as always you were hard to miss. I thought it was interesting that you of all people joined us that day. It was part of the reason I spoke to you after you’d called Jug about Betty kissing Archie. You felt compelled enough to help honor people who have no relation to you. People that people who you are related to slaughtered, but then you turn around and do something like that? Purposely trying to hurt people you actually know, It didn’t make sense, I knew it had to be reactionary.” 

“There are these moments where I want to just thank you for just wanting to get to know me, burgeoning romance aside, I am grateful.” Cheryl responded as they forwent walking around the market again in favor of going to the parking lot and Toni’s bike. “I’m also thoroughly enjoying getting to know you. Since we’ve started speaking today was the first time you’ve divulged this much about yourself unprompted.” Cheryl pointed out, Toni wasn’t the only observant one. Well, Cheryl was pretty self-absorbed and not usually observant, but Toni seemed to be an exception to the rule. 

When they got to Toni’s bike, the shorter girl leaned against it, but didn’t mount, Cheryl found herself sort of naturally leaning into her and Toni’s hand circled the pale girl’s waist, hand resting on the small of her back, “I didn’t know what to expect from today beyond a ‘what does this mean/this doesn’t have to mean anything talk.” Cheryl admitted.

“I usually avoid those talks, but we can if you want to, you know I won’t lie to you.” Toni offered, “It doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to, but it did to me. I like you, but whatever you need me to be is what I’m willing to be, no pressure.” 

Cheryl was literally biting back a grin, her top teeth biting down on her bottom lip, and all because of 3 innocuous words, ‘I like you’.

“I have a tendency to get intense without realizing how far gone I really am, and I really don’t want to screw this up because I really like you, like I...crave you sometimes, like last night. So...I don’t want to hold you to anything, let’s just see where this goes.” Cheryl offered, hopeful. 

“Then we’ll see where this goes, Ms. Bombshell.” Toni leaned in, and Cheryl met her half way, their lips moving together in a sort of unison they hadn’t had last night, but had apparently fell into quickly. 

 

____________________

 

When Toni got Cheryl home it was late afternoon, and yet neither of them really wanted to part, though neither of them had vocalized that fact either; Thistlehouse felt like a dark presence looming over Cheryl’s head, and Toni had a lot of homework she needed to get started on before she started her shift at the Whyte Wyrm. 

“Thank you for the day.” Cheryl told Toni after she’d dismounted the bike. She hadn’t leaned into the shorter girl the way she had in the parking lot of the market, but talking in a vicinity closer than needed seemed to be their thing. “Don’t mention it, I had fun.” Briefly, Toni’s eyes cut from Cheryl to the house behind her, for some reason she felt uneasy about letting the redhead leave, “Text me later?” She asked looking back at Cheryl who started to walk backwards with a practiced grace and a smirk that could break hearts, “...If you’re lucky.” 

Toni could see the slick reply coming from a mile away, and yet it was still as effective as Cheryl intended. She wanted to leave Toni wanting more, guaranteeing that she would think about her for the rest of the night. As the red head turned and sauntered into her home, there was no doubt in Toni’s mind that she would. 

Entering Thistlehouse, Cheryl was on cloud 9, a cloud that almost immediately turned dark when she saw her mother waiting for her at the top of the stairs,

“And just what do you think you’re doing?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Two chapters in one day you say?   
> ........Yeah, don't get used to that, people.   
> This chapter is shorter and sort of amounts to nothing but still, it's a chapter so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Something was wrong, that much Toni knew. 

For one, Cheryl hadn’t texted her that night, and while the redhead didn’t promise she would or anything, Toni knew enough about Cheryl to know that she should have received a text. Still, she chalked it up to maybe she got busy or went to bed early. 

When Cheryl didn’t show up for school, Toni knew something was up, so her first stop once the final bell rang was Thistlehouse. Toni sped over to the estate only to have the door answered by Penelope, which wasn’t unexpected, but she was hardly the redhead she was hoping to see. Once again, Penelope didn’t even try to hide her distaste for Toni, but Toni didn’t actually care, she needed to see Cheryl so the knot in her stomach could release and she could shake the feeling of dread she’d had since she left Cheryl yesterday. 

“May I help you?” Penelope asked (translation: fuck off), 

“Hi, I’m looking for Cheryl. She wasn’t in school today, is she sick?” Toni answered, keeping pleasantries short, (translation: fuck all the way off). 

“Cheryl isn’t here. She’s at boarding school in Switzerland, left last night.” Penelope said cooly with a precision that made it obvious it was rehearsed. Regardless, Toni didn’t have time for bullshit, not when this woman was telling her that her--Cheryl was just gone suddenly without a word to a school in another country, “Mrs. Blossom, that doesn’t make any sense.” 

It appeared that Penelope was also done with bullshit as she dropped the pleasantries, “Don’t come here again.” She told Toni flatly and tried to close the door, but the Serpent was quick and stuck her foot out to stop the it. She was wearing heels today (totally not in an attempt to look cute for Cheryl) but wished now that she’d worn her steel toed boots, “Where is she really? What did you do to her?” Toni asked, no, all but demanded though her voice was still fairly neutral if not accusatory in tone. 

“What did you do to her?” Penelope shot back, a fire in her eyes, though the woman still didn’t intimidate Toni one bit. “Cheryl was far from perfect but she’d at least stopped with that brand of deviance until you came slithering into our home. You want to know where my daughter is? You’ll find that I don’t make a habit of repeating myself. Now if you wanted to ask why she is where she is? Well, just look in the mirror.” 

“What does that mean?” Toni asked, eyes growing wilder, she was losing her patience. Sweet Pea was the hot head, Fangs was the impulsive one, Jughead was the passionate one, but Toni? Toni kept her cool in most situations. She was finding this situation was getting away from her and keeping cool was looking like less and less of an option. 

“Are you done yet?” Penelope once again made an attempt to shut the door, and Toni once again blocked it, this time, pushing the door open and immediately her hand went to her pocket where she kept her butterfly knife. In a flash, it was open and the tip pressed just so under Penelope’s chin, the woman standing ramrod straight, “Not yet. You’ll find that I don’t make a habit of letting people I care about get hurt. Cheryl is officially one of those people.” 

“Well, snake...” Penelope spoke carefully, Toni could tell she was afraid somewhat, but oddly not completely, and the Serpent had to admit that was a bit unsettling, “...There’s a first time for everything.” 

 

______________________

 

Toni was out of her depth and unsure what to do on her own to find Cheryl so she went to the one person she knew could solve a mystery; Betty Cooper. She found the blonde at Pop’s with Jughead and Veronica, and wasted no time with pleasantries as she went to their booth, “Something is wrong with Cheryl. She’s missing.” Toni said, her eyes roaming between all 3 students, but landed on Betty 

“What?” Betty asked, completely caught off guard by not only Toni’s presence but her statement. 

“She wasn’t in school today.” Veronica added while Jughead sat up and offered Toni a seat, but she shook her head, unable to sit down, as far as she was concerned time was of the essence. 

“Right, and I went to her house after school to see if she was sick or something and her mom said she went to a boarding school in Switzerland. In the middle of the night.” 

“What the hell?” Ronnie said, knowing a fishy situation when she saw one. 

“Betty, you figured out the black hood thing, you’re good at following the clues, I don’t know where she is, but we need to find her. I don’t trust her mom at all.” Toni ran a frustrated hand through pink highlighted hair. 

“What did she say to you exactly?” Betty asked Toni, they didn’t have anything to go on and hoped that maybe something in Penelope’s words would provide a clue. 

“She just said the thing about boarding school, that she wasn’t going to repeat herself and that Cheryl was where she was because of me.” Toni explained, starting to feel like coming to Betty was a waste of time.

“Because of you?” Betty repeated, confused. 

“Because they’re a thing.” Jughead concluded. 

“You and Cheryl?” Betty shook her head, “That’s not the point. Wait, do you think…”   
Betty looked at Jughead and for a few seconds it was like they were telepathically speaking or something. The sight would probably be comical if Toni wasn’t currently an anxious wreck trying to keep it together,

“What?!” Both Veronica and Toni exclaimed at the same time. 

“Betty, when your parents sent Polly away, what did they tell you?” Jug asked for confirmation purposes, pretty sure he was remembering correctly. 

“That she was sent off to boarding school. And when we dug into their history didn’t we find they--” 

Jughead nodded, it was kind of a long shot, but it was a decent enough hunch and better than nothing. 

“I think I know where she might be.” Betty told Toni, and the standing girl didn’t at all like the fear stricken look on her face. 

_____________________________

They had to wait until the sun went down before they could make their move on their plan, and in that time Toni had learned a lot about Sisters of Quiet Mercy. The group home had its fair share of scandals and dark secrets, including but not limited to illegal conversion therapy. The thought alone made Toni sick, she knew Cheryl’s mother was a nightmare, but that? That’s beyond vile. 

There was still about an hour before it would get dark and Toni was camped in the nearby woods in a spot that overlooked the grounds in case there was something to be seen. When she heard a rustling of trees, Toni stood and took out her knife just in case it was needed, not knowing who was approaching. 

There wasn’t only one person who emerged from among the thick brush of trees, but two -- Fangs and Sweet Pea. 

Toni let out a sigh of relief, “What are you two doing here, how did you even know where to find me?” 

“Jones filled us in on what was going down.” Sweet Pea explained and Fangs added, Phone tracker.” Fangs was the clown of the Serpents, but a skill underutilized in the gang that he possessed was an impressive amount of tech savvy. If Toni were a superhero, then Fangs would be her guy in the chair without question. 

“You should have told us. Rule 1.” Sweet Pea reminded her, and Toni repeated it back to him as was custom, “No Serpent stands alone.” 

Fangs nodded, “And our personal rule 1 is that Toni doesn’t stand alone. So here we are, the calvary. Here to help you get your girl back.”

Toni didn’t cry often, not because she put on a front of being tougher than she was, she just didn’t, but these boys, the Serpents as a whole, they were her family, and Toni felt her throat constrict and swallowed a huge lump while fighting back tears. This was what she was telling Cheryl about, this was why she’d joined the gang.

Fangs took a backpack off and pulled out floor plans and laid them out. As Betty and Jughead’s research had confirmed there were underground facilities, and according to the blonde, that was where Cheryl would most likely be so that was where they were going.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this is a short one, ya'll. 
> 
> I wasn't actually going to go this route and skim over the actual escape since these kinds of things always come off kind of cheesy to me, but I did my best and that's what they always taught you in school, right? Anyway. I wrote it because you guys seemed really excited for the how Cheryl would get out and I didn't wanna be a dick so better or for worse, this one's for you. Let me know what you guys think.

Breaking into places, smashing some things up, threatening people, hurting people ; these were all things Toni had experience in doing, and she had plenty experience doing them with Fangs and Sweet Pea especially. But she had to admit she was beyond nervous for what they were about to embark on. Not only was it Cheryl’s safety on the line (to put it lightly), but she was surrounded by people she didn’t know well enough to trust them in a crisis, and yet she was because she had to. 

Toni would be the first to admit that she didn’t think much of Jughead’s northside friends, and her value in them had depleted that much more as she got to know Cheryl and began to understand just how much these people wrote her off. Being there now, she had to admit that she was wrong about them, at least to some degree. Maybe they did have their heads up their own asses, but all it took was for Toni to tell them that Cheryl was in real trouble for them to pull them out. 

So there they were; Bulldogs, Serpents, Vixens, and even Pussycats all stood in a circle, all serving their own functions to help out a girl, who was more than worth the trouble. When they had Cheryl back, Toni could think about how she could thank them, but they had to get her back first. 

Toni, Veronica, and Sweet Pea were the feet on the ground, the ones who would be physically going into the underground facilities. Fangs and Jughead were the backup outside. Betty and Archie were the decoys, and Josie was the getaway driver, ready to peel off at a moments notice in the van the pussycats used to drive around equipment for gigs. If they were lucky, they would get Cheryl out undetected, but in the worst case scenario, well none of them were particularly religious, so if some nuns had to go down, some nuns had to go down. 

Once they all dispersed, Toni, Veronica and Sweet Pea went over to the storm cellar that would serve as their entryway into the underground facilities. There was a giant lock and chain on the handle, which Sweet Pea broke off with bolt cutters. The girls descended down first, and Sweet Pea told Fangs and Jughead to stay hidden and keep watch on the door until they were all out and safe, then joined them down the stairs. They mostly kept quiet in case there was someone walking around,but so far there had been nothing. 

Then she heard it, retching, and violently so. Veronica and Sweet Pea heard it too, and they were off towards the direction of the sound. As they got closer, they could hear sobs as well. Toni couldn’t claim to know Cheryl Blossom in and out yet, but she’d seen the girl cry twice now, and knew what that sounded like. 

Just as they were approaching a large door with the words C. Blossom written on a small card, a larger door opened and a man dressed like an orderly came walking down the hallway, moving towards Cheryl’s door. Toni, acting on pure impulse was about to pounce, but Sweet Pea wrapped his arm around her waist and held her back. He mouthed ‘I’ve got this.’ and slowly crept out of the shadows the three of them had crouched in. The orderly hadn’t heard or seen Sweet Pea coming, and the Serpent was able to get him into a choke hold from behind. 

“Damn, I can’t believe I just saw that in real life.” Veronica said as she and Toni watched Sweet Pea lay the now unconscious orderly out on the ground. Sweet Pea waved them over and neither girl wasted any time, Veronica raiding the unconscious man’s belt for a key to unlock Cheryl’s door. Toni shined her phone’s flashlight to help Veronica, trying to quell the urge that told her to shout for the girl to hurry up and figure it out already. 

“A-ha!” Veronica said, fairly confident she’d found the right key, and stuck it into the lock. The bolt turned with a click and Veronica opened the heavy door. 

It had been a day. A little over 24 hours, and yet the anxiousness Toni felt in the mere seconds before Veronica could get the door fully open was as if Toni hadn’t seen Cheryl in years. When she did lay eyes on the redhead, she watched her scamper away to the farthest corner of a small cot pushed up against a padded wall, whimpering. 

“Cheryl, it’s okay. It’s me.” Toni moved into the small room, Veronica right behind her. The room smelled of vomit, a bucket near a small sink being the source, and playing on a small television was what looked like a supercut of women kissing and having sex. 

“And me.” Ronnie assured her, and the two girls watched confusion, then slow recognition play across Cheryl’s features. 

“You--you’re here.” Cheryl let out, voice small before she passed out, falling limp on the bed. Toni scooped her up with a strength that Veronica wouldn’t have guessed the small girl possessed, and the latina quickly surveyed the horrid room looking for any of Cheryl’s belongings. 

“We should get outta here before this guy comes to.” Sweet Pea warned and they were off, moving as quickly as they could back towards where they came from. 

____________________

In the van, Toni sat in the far back with Cheryl, still unconscious laying with her head on the Serpent’s lap. There was chatter from the boys, Sweet Pea recounting what he saw and Jughead already brainstorming how to shut the place down for good. Toni though, she was quiet, eyes on the redhead in front of her. Veronica watched Toni from the seat in front of the two girls, thinking about how the sight of Toni gingerly combing her fingers through fire red hair was precious if not a little heartbreaking considering the circumstances. 

“You’re a hero, Toni Topaz.” Ronnie said finally, causing Toni to look from Cheryl’s face to hers. Toni shouldn’t like Veronica, it was her father who was the reason behind Southside high school being shut down, off the books, everyone knew that. But, people weren’t their parents, and she had stuck her neck out for Cheryl tonight, if nothing else, that made her okay in Toni’s book. “I guess that makes you a sidekick then.” 

Veronica smirked, though it was half heartedly, the small reprieve from the heaviness of the situation was welcomed by both girls. “I’ve always felt a strange pull towards Robin now that you mention it.” 

Ronnie’s tone changed from jokingly mischevious to sincere, “Hey? She’s going to be alright. Thanks to you.” 

Toni nodded, “I know I just...hate that it happened, her mom should be in prison right now, or worse.” 

“Or worse.” Veronica agreed. Sure her parents were what they were, but she didn’t think for a second they’d ever hurt her, especially not in the way the Blossoms so callously were willing to dispose of their children. 

“What do we do now?” Ronnie asked. 

Question of the fucking year.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...picture me sitting down to have my emotions played with and watch Riverdale and realize it doesn't come on until tomorrow. 
> 
> I feel like this fic is going to end soon, but I'm thinking about writing a sequel fic because there's a bunch of stuff I want to see happen, but then again I could always just write a new fic and put it there. 
> 
> Anyway, I don't know what this chapter is, I can't tell if I'm happy with it or not. Only time will tell. In the mean time. Also, I was going to make it longer by like another scene or so but I'm kind of sleepy. Regardless, let me wake up to all the comments, I love hearing from the Choni community and here you go, Chapter 8.

Victim. 

Victim was a word Cheryl Blossom had heard a lot in her seventeen year lifetime. Her mother berated her constantly growing up, imploring her not to play the victim. Victim was what Jason had become, it was all her brother had been reduced to after his murder -- the victim of a heinous crime. Nick St. Clair tried to turn her into his victim and nearly succeeded once upon a time, and she was a victim of so many forms of abuse at the hands of her mother. Victimhood, it seemed was destined to loom over Cheryl’s head like a dark cloud. 

The thing about it was ‘victim’ just didn’t sit right with Cheryl. That title sat upon her felt like an ill fitting sweater from 3 seasons ago or being aroused in any capacity by Jughead Jones -- just wrong. It was why whatever came her way she would hold her head up high and push through, kept going even if she didn’t know where. 

Admittedly, it probably wasn’t the healthiest of moves considering that part of that pushing through mentality was pushing out and away whatever it was, pretending as if it hadn’t ever happened and in most cases, building defenses to ensure it would never happened again. Cheryl pushed through and swept under the rug because deep down she didn’t feel as if saying something, really doing something head on would make a difference because no one cared to see or hear her, not really. 

It was a little tougher for the voice in her head to tell her that no one cared when she was sitting in a hospital room surrounded by people who before tonight she would call occasional acquaintances at best, but now couldn’t be described as anything other than friends; for better or worse. The voice was rendered completely mute when among those people were her, Toni Topaz. When the door had opened and she saw the leather clad Serpent, Cheryl thought that a side effect of whatever they shot into her arm had to be hallucinations, but Toni was all too real, and she’d come to rescue her. 

That first night was a blur, they’d all gone to Sunnyside, to Toni’s uncle’s trailer after she was cleared to leave the hospital, and no one left until Cheryl was up and able to say herself that she was okay. She was handled with the utmost delicacy, by everyone but especially Toni, who Cheryl could see in her eyes wanted nothing more than to take care of her. And that night, she let her.

___________________

It was morning, Cheryl didn’t know what time exactly, but when she opened her eyes light was pooling in from a window. The redhead didn’t move; there were small, but strong arms around her, arms connected to Toni who she didn’t want to disturb, so instead she just laid there and thought. 

Toni was good, and Toni was good for her. Toni had reminded Cheryl of what happy felt like. When the situation called for it, Toni became her savior, and all Toni wanted in return it seemed, was Cheryl. 

That night at the movies Cheryl told Toni that she wasn’t just some loveless monster and she’d shown the Serpent that, but there was still so much that the Serpent didn’t know about her. She’d seen her claws in their first few encounters. She’d seen her weak, unable to hold back tears. She’d seen her carefree and at peace, and she’d seen her afraid. 

What she hadn’t seen yet was how much of a fighter Cheryl Blossom really was. Sure the snark and venom was a defense mechanism, but it was also part of who she was fundamentally; one who was not to be fucked with. Life, funny enough pushed her to act more like that while at the same time almost forgetting that it wasn’t acting, not all of it. Toni hadn’t seen how much of an HBIC Cheryl Blossom really was and could be. 

But she would. 

Cheryl’s mother tried to destroy her, and she nearly did, but Cheryl knew something that her mom didn’t: That without meaning to, Penelope Blossom raised a Phoenix. 

__________________

“Hi, Mommy.” Cheryl greeted her mother with a smile on her face that was too big to not hold some devious intention behind it.

Penelope had expected her daughter to show up sooner or later when Sisters of Quiet Mercy called her a few days prior and notified her that Cheryl had escaped. Admittedly, she’d expected her to be in a completely different state, but she was surprised, not rattled. Not even if she had Sierra McCoy on one side of her and that Serpent trash on her other. 

“Cheryl. You’re back, how was Switzerland?” Penelope asked with a raised eyebrow, but instead of her daughter meeting her eyes, she breezed into the front door of Thistlehouse, her cohorts right behind her. “Can’t say I liked it much, mother. So I thought I’d come home.” 

“Sierra. Nice to see you again. Can I offer you a drink perhaps?” Penelope offered a greeting then looked to Toni and didn’t utter a word, only looked her up and down. Not that Toni cared, actually, she welcomed the cold shoulder, almost giddy for what would transpire in the next few moments. 

“I’m fine, Penelope. Thank you.” Sierra responded, tone clipped. From what she’d heard in the past few days, it was taking a lot for the lawyer to even manage that much. 

“No need to play good hostess, mother, you don’t have time. I imagine you wouldn’t want to waste more than you have to when you’re on such a tight schedule to pack.” 

“Pack?” Penelope repeated, and Cheryl nodded, “Mhm. All of your things, whatever you want to take. You are about 30 minutes away from being considered a trespasser on my property.” She explained simply with a carefree flutter of her hands.

The older Blossom appeared unphased, if not a bit annoyed by Cheryl’s audacity and crossed her arms, “Ah. So that explains your presence, Sierra. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time. I don’t know what my daughter has told you, but she inherits nothing until she’s a legal adult. Last I checked she isn’t 18 yet.” 

_Check._

Penelope turned to look at Toni, “And what were you supposed to be her bouncer?” The older woman gave a dry, humorless chuckle.

“If I need to be.” Toni shot back and took a step forward, only for Cheryl to catch her by the hand and stop her in her tracks, “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got this.” 

Hearing the term of affection caused Penelope to bristle visibly. Cheryl was flaunting her perversion in her face, and Penelope didn’t know how much of that she would take regardless of whoever else was in the room.

“Actually Penelope, as of yesterday she is a legal adult. Emergency emancipation was filed for and granted to Cheryl.” Sierra held out a copy of the court order, which Penelope snatched, and the longer her eyes scanned, the more her face fell. 

“Hashtag adulting.” Cheryl added, tone nothing less than chipper.

“This is riveting.” Toni added, “I can’t breathe.” 

“You didn’t inherit Thistlehouse, you ungrateful little troll.” Penelope spat out as she moved in Cheryl’s face, and the younger redhead couldn’t say she felt no fear at her mother’s aggressiveness, but when Toni once again moved to try and protected her, Cheryl squeezed her hand and remained unmoved. “I did not, mother. But funny thing about this property. It’s in the company’s name so I guess... I kind of did. Along with my mother’s vengeful streak it would appear. You now have 24 minutes. Feel free to waste them seething, but once that timer is up, Sheriff Keller is right outside ready to escort you to whatever John’s apartment that block of ice in your chest you call your heart desires.” 

Penelope’s mouth opened and closed without any sound coming out resembling a dead fish, and Toni was itching to pull out her phone and record this, but figured she had to have some chill, even if this was her girl’s moment. 

When Penelope moved, Cheryl flinched initially, but the woman moved past her and to the window nearest the front door peering out, no doubt to call Cheryl’s bluff, but Sheriff Keller along with another police vehicle were just outside. 

“This won’t last. You’ll screw it up somehow, you can’t help it. It’s just who you are.” 

Cheryl wished she could say that the woman’s words magically didn’t affect her anymore, that the venom held no potency, but she was her mother and they did. Just not enough to kill her, not enough to knock Cheryl down or off her game. Without turning to face her mother, Cheryl swallowed a lump forming in her throat then stated plain and simple, “Twenty two…” 

_Check mate._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Chapter (literally 1 scene) because I'm having oral surgery in a few hours so I don't know how capable of writing I'll be over the next few days. I'm pretty sure chapter 10 will be my last of this story. 
> 
> Guys, can we talk about last night's episode thought? Like did they save Cheryl or did the whole thing save me?  
> There were so many gush worthy moments, but guys why is Cheryl so extra? That last scene where she turns around and says the whole school is going to burn? LOL. Never change. This show is NOT rooted in reality and I don't need it to be. I'm not one to give Riverdale too much credit, but I'm glad they didn't go extra dark and sinister with the conversion camp. I mean all the awful implications were there but they didn't go graphic so that was much appreciated. 
> 
> Also Nana Rose knowing not only Toni's name but Toni's real name? Imagine Cheryl gushing about Toni to Nana Rose though? It had to have happened right? It did in my mind, fam.
> 
> S/O to whoever read this whole thing. That's not what you came for so here, have your chapter.

Cheryl had never liked silence, even more so when Jason died; all it ever did was leave her alone to her thoughts, which wasn’t a place she liked to be all that often as it usually led her to do things she regretted like what she’d done to Josie and going out to Sweetwater River to be with Jason. 

_Jason._

Cheryl wondered what her brother would think about the past almost year of her life since he’d died. She also liked to not idealize, but imagine what he’d really think. Some moments she thought he’d be more proud of than others. Finally standing up to their mom? He would have thought it a bit dramatic the way she’d done it, but would have loved it anyway. She’d go as far to say it would have been the proudest she’d ever made him. 

“Where’s your head at?” Toni asked as she sat up on her side on Cheryl’s bed, one hand propping up her head while the other played idly with the other girl’s fingers as they’d been doing for the past half hour or so silently. Toni was fine with the silence as Cheryl seemed to be, however, the intense look of thought was what prompted Toni to finally ask the question

“Hmm? JJ. How he’d be proud of what I did. If he were alive he would have backed me up the way I backed up his plan.” There was a time where Cheryl couldn’t think about Jason without crying. She was sure her days of crying for the loss of her brother weren’t over, but she’d learned to function enough as just Cheryl that she could think of him fondly and not break down. She thinks he’d be proud of that too.

“When my mother would tear into me or something would happen, he would be there, without fail to tell me how strong I am, almost like a mantra. I used to think that he was the reason I was strong, so when he wasn’t around anymore…” She trailed off, thinking out loud, “...I understand now though. He wasn’t telling me to make me feel better, he was reminding me.” She looked at Toni, and the attentiveness on the darker girl’s face made Cheryl smile softly and lean in. Cheryl gave Toni a chaste kiss on her lips, then adjusted so she too was on her side, her stance mirroring Toni’s, “He would have liked you.” She concluded,

“He knew you liked girls?” Toni asked and Cheryl nodded with a fond smile on her face, “He knew before I did. With Heather and everything so we can add ‘ally’ to his myriad of titles.”

“I wish I could have met him.” Toni offered and meant it as she squeezed Cheryl’s hand, and the redhead agreed. 

“There were other things. That I was thinking about I mean. That place...if you hadn’t come it would have broken me eventually. It was a nightmare, sinister. What they said was wrong and impure I knew wasn’t. That if anything they were the sick ones, but what they shot into me, biologically they were trying to turn my body and mind against me.” She shook her head.

“Sometimes I wonder what decade we’re in living in this place.” Toni told her. 

“Bigotry is timeless apparently. But it would take more than a few rounds of that to convince me my feelings for you are anything but right.” 

“Feelings for me…” Toni repeated the phrase and Cheryl raised an eyebrow. Cheryl had wanted to take it slow, which was fine, but talking about feelings for one another was kind of the opposite of that, at least in Toni’s eyes. 

“Yes. I figured since you admitted yours to me first I could go ahead and return the sentiment.” 

“When did I do that?” Toni questioned, amusement in her voice. Cheryl wasn’t wrong, but she couldn’t recall a conversation where she admitted her feelings specifically. 

“Antoinette Topaz.” Cheryl started and pushed the Serpent’s shoulder then straddled her lap once she was on her back, “You broke me out of conversation camp, was I was supposed to gleam ‘casual’ from that?” Slowly, Cheryl walked her fingers up Toni’s sides, and up her neck, then cupped her face, her own softening. 

“If you’d like to keep things casual then I can live with that. I meant it when I said I don’t want to mess things up. But here’s the thing: I’ve never had what our generation calls ‘chill’ and it’s hard to not to start falling for you when you treat someone the way you’ve treated me. I don’t need to keep things casual because as far as I’m concerned no one tops you in my mind. No one but me...obviously.” She said with a smirk while she wiggled in Toni’s lap, accentuating just what kind of topping she was referring to in the latter half of her little impromptu declaration. 

“Wow...there aren’t that many people who can render me speechless, you know that?” Toni started while she moved her hands up and down Cheryl’s arms slowly. They were both touchy people, and their hands seemed to be magnets for one another’s skin especially. “You’re not wrong, Bombshell. I feel this kind of calm and happiness around you that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but I don’t really need it to. I like you, a lot. That being said, since we both apparently have no chill, will you be my girl?” Toni bit down on her bottom lip and sat up with Cheryl still in her lap. She reached behind herself and unclasped a silver necklace with a small silver snake with pink topaz eyes. She transferred the necklace to Cheryl’s neck and the vixen kissed her so fast afterwards, Toni couldn’t see the smile on her face, but she felt it, and that night, she felt it everywhere.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read this fic. Seriously your comments and everything gave me life. 
> 
> There's some stuff I left open ended just because I feel like I'd write little one shots here and there with these characters so if there's anything you guys may have wanted to see a scene of let me know and I'll see if I can make that happen. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm already thinking of new fic ideas because really I can't get enough Choni. If you have prompts you can leave them in the comments or something. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Toni found the boys over at Sweet Pea’s playing PS4 in his room, which was the only time they ever hung out at Sweet Pea’s because in Fang’s words he never had any good snacks since his mom was all about healthy eating. In the small room, Fangs and Sweets sat on the end of the latter’s bed while Jug sat on a old bean bag chair in the corner, his laptop open as he typed away. 

“Look who it is. Toni of the house Topaz. First of her name, the un-stabbed, queen of the Serpents, the southside, and the short women.” Fangs announced and Sweet Pea took over, “Queen of Sunnyside, Khaleesi of the dope pink highlights, protector of the Whyte Wyrm, lady regent of the two Riverdales, breaker of jaws and mother of ripped jeans.” Both boys high fived each other while not pausing their game play, more amused with themselves than anyone should be at their own joke, and Toni looked at Jughead with a raised eyebrow and he just shrugged, “We were watching Game of Thrones before this.” 

Toni shook her head, amused and climbed into the bed, resting on her knees behind the boys.

“How’s Cheryl?” Jughead asked Toni, sounding genuinely curious about her well being which isn’t something Toni thought she’d ever see. 

“She’s good. Meeting with the board of trustees of Blossom Maple Farms right now, so she’s doing her HBIC thing I imagine.” Toni answered while she watched the screen as Sweets demolished Fangs on Injustice 2. 

“Better question is, how is Cheryl’s big ass crib? What’s it called, Tinsel house?” Fangs asked, his brows furrowed in concentration. 

“Thistlehouse.” Toni corrected, “And actually, you can see for yourself Friday night.” She got up and pulled out three red envelopes and flung them at the boys like ninja stars. Each envelope had their names handwritten on them in beautiful calligraphy. Sweet Pea paused the game and opened his envelope, “We are cordially invited...check this out.” He let out a long whistle, “She doesn’t believe in just sending texts, huh?” 

“She’s doing that too, all the Serpents are invited, but you guys are among her special guests so special invites.” Toni explained in quotation marks, “It’s her way of thanking you for helping her get away from the sisters of quiet mercy.”

“Special guests at a Cheryl Blossom party? We are in the Twilight Zone now, people.” Jughead commented then added, “But I’ll be there.” He didn’t want any static, and frankly knowing that Cheryl’s mom sent her there on top of the way Toni took an interest in her had Jug re-evaluating what he knew and how he felt about Cheryl in general. He didn’t think they’d become best buddies anytime soon, or ever really, but she deserved better than she got, he could see that now and admit it. 

“Are you admitting that you two are a thing yet or do we still have to pretend that we don’t see how heart eyes you are over that chick?” Sweets had never been one to mince words, something she liked about him. 

“Excuse me? I do not get heart eyes.” Toni protested. 

“Oh no?” Fangs asked as he pulled out his phone. He went to Cheryl’s instagram feed and scrolled for a few seconds, “Ain’t this you? The comment you left is literally three heart eyes emojis.”   
The three boys all laughed at Toni’s lack of a defense and she mumbled a few expletives as she took Fangs’ controller and wedged herself between the two boys on the bed. 

“We might have made it official.” Toni finally admitted as she selected a new character in the game. 

“Official? You haven’t had a girlfriend since…” Fangs started, and Sweet Pea finished his sentence, “Gina.” They both simultaneously shivered. 

“Okay, she wasn’t that bad.” Toni protested half heartedly, because in reality she was kind of that bad. 

“Wait, Gina? That girl who started the fight at the Whyte Wyrm a few weeks ago?” Jughead asked. 

“Yep, that’s her.” Toni confirmed, the girl was nothing but trouble, something Sweet Pea had tried to tell Toni, but she had to see for herself before she called it quits with the girl for having too short of a fuse and being too possessive. 

“Well I’m gonna call it and say your cherry bomb is an upgrade. Congrats.” Fangs offered, “Now can we get back to our regularly scheduled program and talk about my love life? Because I found an app that’s like Tinder, but for threesomes and I’m thinking of going all in on it…” 

 

_________________________________

Cheryl never thought she’d see the day where her home was filled with Southside serpents. Sure there were a fair share of northsiders there too, but there were a lot of people (mostly bulldogs) who weren’t about making peace and breaking bread. Actually, that was fine with Cheryl, because the party wasn’t some attempt at making peace (she isn’t goddamn mother Teresa), it was more of a welcome party for a new phase of her life and the people she wanted in it. 

The redhead stood in a corner taking everything in, from Toni and Fangs battling Archie and Veronica for beer pong supremacy to Jughead regaling a group of kids off to the side with some elaborate story that required a lot of hand movements. She was alone in the corner, but not unhappy and not there because she didn’t have people who wanted to be around her, which was new, and honestly a feeling she was still getting used to. 

“I wouldn’t have figured your for the wallflower type.” Cheryl heard a voice that brought her out of her reflection. When she looked in it’s direction she was met with a tall boy standing in front of her with slicked back dark hair and a red solo cup in his hand -- Sweet Pea.

She gave him a small, friendly smile and moved over a bit to share the wall she was resting on, and the Serpent took her up on her silent offer and leaned against it. “I’m not, just taking it all in I guess. Did Toni ask you to check on me?” She wondered as every so often she’d catch her girlfriend’s eye and she’d mouth a ‘want me to come over?’ and every time Cheryl would shake her head no because she really was okay. 

“Nah, I just saw you over here. Figured I’d give you some company. Nice necklace.” He observed with a smirk, and Cheryl’s hand went up to touch the tiny snake that hung around her neck, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips, “It is right? I’d say it fits me pretty well, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah, it looks good.” Sweet Pea agreed then paused to take a sip from his cup. “So I’m not gonna threaten you, but do me a favor and be good to Toni, alright? She’s one of the best people you ever wanna meet and she might not look like it but she’s taken some L’s in the dating department.” 

“Has she?” Cheryl asked, she hadn’t even thought about any of Toni’s past lovers, it had never occurred to her. “She’s never mentioned anyone.” 

“Yeah, she doesn’t like to talk about it.” 

Cheryl once again looked back over at the beer pong table and watched as Toni sunk a shot, seemingly the last one as the small crowd around them went wild. 

Sweet Pea observed the special kind of smile Cheryl got when she looked at Toni, it almost looked like she forgot there was anyone else in the room or something, it was nice to see that kind of look directed towards someone who deserved to be looked at in that way, and Toni did. 

“Promise I’ll take care of her heart.” Cheryl assured Sweet Pea as she tore her eyes from Toni and back to him, “Cool. And hey, even though you’re not a Serpent, you’re affiliated so we got your back. If your mom ever gives you any trouble…” 

“Who’s giving trouble? Besides me and Fangs. Archie does not take losing well.” Toni said as she pounced in between Sweet Pea and Cheryl while wearing a crown forged out of a beer box. She rested a hand on the wall and leaned her weight on it.

“Nobody, Tiny. I was just letting Cherry Bomb here know if that changes she knows who to call.” 

“Isn’t he the cutest?” Toni gushed and grabbed Sweet Pea’s face, smushing it together. “Alright, and that’s my cue to leave. I’m gonna see if one of your girl’s cheerleading buddies want to dance.” 

“Give ‘em hell, Sweets.” Toni yelled after her friend’s retreating form. 

After Sweet Pea left, Toni focused all of her attention on Cheryl, “So...you come here often?”

Cheryl laughed, “So you’re drunk, huh?” 

Toni brought her thumb and index finger in close and mouthed ‘a little’. 

“And you’re a queen.” The redhead tapped Toni’s crown then slipped her hand in the short girl’s hand, “I am. Are you impressed?” Toni asked, teasing. 

“Of course I am. I think power is very sexy.” Responded Cheryl, voice dropping an octave or two. 

“You think so? Look at me, still learning new things about you.” The Serpent leaned in, and Cheryl did so as well, their lips meeting for a slow, languid kiss that felt like freedom to the taller girl. 

“Ahem.” Came a voice after they had been kissing for...well neither of them really knew, but it was long enough that when they pulled away their chests were rising and falling with a bit more labor.   
“Cousin Betty.” Cheryl said and licked her lips while she ran a hand through her hair looking at the blonde for an explanation of why she’d been interrupted, “To what do I owe this interruption?”

“Sorry to break up your...yeah um Ronnie is having a mild dilemma, it’s not like a huge deal or anything, but she’s calling for a girl talk pow wow type thing so I thought I’d grab you. And you too Toni, if you want.” 

It was dumb, so dumb to get choked up about something so small like getting invited to girl talk, but Cheryl was touched by the gesture nonetheless -- she was wanted. 

“No, you go. I’ve been a shitty wingman tonight so I’m gonna check in with the guys, see if my services are needed.” Toni told Cheryl and Betty.

“I’ll find you after, okay?” Cheryl said and let go of the hand that she hadn’t realized she was still holding.

“Play nice.” Toni responded before she headed off. 

So much had happened in such a small period of time. Cheryl had gone from being feared, but not liked and no doubted talked about and being miserable to being among friends who were there for her (and vice versa, Cheryl would make sure of that) not only for important life threatening things, but the small, menial stuff that wouldn’t matter an hour from now let alone the next day. 

She didn’t know what would happen with her mom or her family’s business, or even with her relationship with Toni, but she knew three things: That she was hopeful. That she had that hope all because a serpent with pink streaked hair and a determined fire in her eyes decided that she was worth getting to know. And she could see herself falling in love with that Serpent someday. Maybe someday soon.

 

The End.


End file.
